playoffs

Dan Boyle might not be the only hockey player who defines the word “feisty.” But it’s always good to see him in that mood as the playoffs approach.

The Shark defenseman was definitely in that mood this week at the team’s practice rink when he was being asked about the upcoming Sharks-Kings series.

“It’s all the same angles, right?” Boyle said.

Yup. All the same. The two teams don’t like each other. They play hard-hitting hockey. Darryl Sutter, the Kings coach, was once the Sharks’ coach. The Kings have been Stanley Cup champions once, but the Sharks have yet to reach the finals.

“The only way to shut you guys up is to go ahead and win it,” Boyle joked, feistily.

Later, when the crowd of reporters cleared and we were alone, I suggested another angle no one had mentioned: That these playoff games could be the last games Boyle ever plays for the Sharks. His contract runs out after this season–and unlike fellow veterans Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, Boyle has not signed an extension.

That may not be his choice, in a fashion. Boyle has said in the past that he would like to stay with the team and complete his career in San Jose. But while he and Sharks general manager Doug Wilson don’t talk about negotiations, the presumption is that Boyle wants multiple years on his next deal and the Sharks probably don’t. Boyle is 37, three years older than Thornton and Marleau, who agreed to three-year extensions last month.

Boyle has been with the Sharks since 2008 and in that time has established himself as the top scoring defenseman in franchise history. So. How much time has he spent thinking about the fact that these could be his final games with the team?

“At this point, no time,” Boyle said. “None. I can’t be consumed by that. It’s just not who I am or what I’m about. I’m about winning hockey games.”

In fact, Boyle was offended by the entire line of inquiry, as indicated by his next question to me. Continue Reading →